Machu
The Machu are the Priest-Kings of the Pachacaca, and act as both religious leaders and chiefs. In times of war, the Machu lead the warriors in battle. Symbol The Machu symbol is the same as that of the lizardmen, a snake’s head with orbs for eyes. Prime Stats In/Pr Skills The Machu get the following skills (note, this is instead of the normal first level development) The Machu learn Psionic lists at 2/* Must forsake 1 level. Customary Garb The Machu have no particular uniform. Most dress in robes, ornately decorated with pictographs and patterns. The Qitzl-Machu wear bright feathers from jungle birds. Special Requirements A Machu must have a PR of 50, and an IN of 60 Membership Membership is restricted to the Izmec. Both males and females are permitted to join. Due to the scarcity of Izmec, most inevitably are allowed to join the ranks. However, priority is given to those with mutations- the more mutations the better. Culture Each Pachacaca tribe has at least one Machu. The larger tribes often have more, and the Ixia have nearly a dozen. When there are more than one, the highest rank will be determined by magical and psionic strength, usually be a battle. These battles aren’t officially sanctioned, and usually occur when there’s a disagreement in leadership. The highest Machu in a tribe is known as the Qitzl-Machu. Due to the constant in-fighting, a Qitzl-Machu is rarely in power for long, and is generally short-lived. Any Izmec is automatically qualified to become a Machu, and it is generally their fate. They are taken by the other Izmec at a young age, and raised in the temple. Izmec are slow breeders, and one couple is lucky to beget offspring. These Izmec are considered acolyted and spend their days training and learning about Chaos and the gods. They are known as Nincutu, and are simply priests, carrying out menial tasks for the Machu with no command over the tribe. Those who show promise will eventually be promoted to Machu, though this is not always the case and there is no set time-limit; often a Machu will have many Nincutu servants, and this is often deliberate. Those Izmec who are considered weak, or lack the sadism necessary to control the Ultec are often cast out. Many of the outcast kill themselves in shame, though others leave the tribe and wander into the Dreamland, or become military leaders or smiths. Restrictions All Machu must be Izmec. If an Izmec shows little psionic ability, they are generally kicked out of the temple. If they rebel against the Queen, they are sacrificed. Any Izmec born with a mutation is usually considered blessed, and is often revered to by the other Machu- until ambition over-rides their adoration. Due to elitist in-breeding and centuries of worshipping Chaos, malformations are frequent amongst the Izmec. The deformations are also inherent from their creation- the Izmec believe they were created by Pachunama before he/she left orignally. Structure The Machu are the highest caste in Pachacaca society, and are in charge of the whole tribe. The Qitzl-Machu are the leaders of the tribal Machu, and their robes are generally more elaborate and they wear feathers. All the Machu and Qitzl-Machu answer to Mostrassu, the Iz-Machutl (high priest). He, in turn, answers solely to the Queen. The Machu of a tribe usually lives in the ziggurat, often with his retainers (Taltec-zo guards and Ultec and outcast Izmec retainers) and the acolytes (Nincutu). Should there be more than one Machu, they will dwell together in the ziggurat. Often, rival Machus will build secondary ziggurats, though this is rare. Philosophy/Purpose The Machu are the Priest-Kings of the Pachacaca, and act as both religious leaders and chiefs. In times of war, the Machu lead the warriors in battle. As religious leaders, the Machu are devout in their believes. During the centuries following Palorme’s departure, they kept the stories alive and prophesied his/her return. Sacrifices were made every day to ensure Pachunama’s return. Now, the sacrifice’s continue- indeed it is the Machu’s sole religious purpose; Pachunama must be appeased every day, at sunset, with a ritual sacrifice. This sacrifice takes place on the top of the ziggurat, watched by the rest of the tribe. Usually the victim is an Ultec, chosen at random. On religious holidays, the Machu will do their best to procure a Dream-Walker (a Man or Elf) or, failing that, a rogue Izmec. The Machu are the wealthiest of the Pachacaca, and often possess immense riches. They spend their time learning magic or enhancing their psychic powers. They also are keen to experiment with the powers of Chaos, who Pachanama introduced to them. Many a Machu has died by summoning an uncontrollable Chaos demon. The Machu, above all, worship Pachunama. However, they have a whole pantheon of countless spirits, including Kulmec, the snake-god of the sun (his orb eyes are the sun and moon). They often commune with the spirits, and harness their powers. Upon the death of a popular Izmec, the Machu perform elaborate funerals, with a sacrifice to each spirit. As well as these spirits, the Machu worship Chaos, which they believe gave birth to their own gods (including Pachunama), and therefore them. They believe that by serving Chaos well (and Its representative, Pachunama) they can hope to be reincarnated as a Pachu (a high spirit resembling man). To them, their spirits are Chaos Gods. The Machu, through Pachunama’s teachings, fear the ‘Dream World’ (the world beyond the swamp)- they believe that all the inhabitants beyond the swamp are dreamwalkers, demons taking the form of Pachu in mockery. They have dedicated themselves to slaying the Dream-Walkers (Cetchu), hence their hatred of Men and Elves. To the Machu, the Dreamworld is hell, where the unworthy Pachacaca go when they die. Those Ultec who are worthy are reincarnated by the Chaos Gods into Taltec-Zo, then Izmec, then Gorchu (lizard-centaurs) then the Pachu. Prior to reincarnation they spend time in the Blessed Swamp. Those who are not worthy must wander in the Dreamworld forever, a shadowy mockery of the Pachu. Because of this, many of the Machu spend their times in ‘dreams’ via spells, the only safe way to explore and learn about the Dreamworld. The Machu’s lesser functions involve blessing the Spawning Pits (the place where eggs are laid in the Pachacaca houses) and enforcing the laws. The Machu are also the only ones who can read or write the elaborate pictographs that the Pachacaca use for writing- and they embellish each one with a spell. Holy Days There are two main days for the Pachacaca. The first is Ki-Pacha. This day falls on the winter solstice, and is reputedly the day when Pachunama left (and, by conicidence, the day she/he returned)- this day is still celebrated each year with hundreds of sacrifices. The second day is Ki-Kul, the festival of the Sun, which takes place in the summer solstice. This day is supposedly the day when the Chaos god Kulmec blesses all the Pachacaca, and banishes the Dreamworld for a day. Often, on that day, the Lizardmen will leave the confines of the forest to spend the day butchering and slaughtering the Dreamwalkers. There are many other days, each dedicated to a particular spirit and all involving ritual sacrifice. The religious holidays are seldom fun, particularly for the Ultec. Twice a year, on the equinoxes, all the Machu meet at the Temple of Nama in Ixia with Mostrassu to hear Pachunama’s orders. These days are known as Chimec-Ru. Spell Lists *Talismans (Malificent Base) *Serpent Lore *Dream Law (Dream Lord Base) *Dream Lore (Dream Lord Base) *Chaos Mastery (Chaos Lord Base) *Dark Summons: Chaos (Evil Magician) *And a choice of one ''Psionic ''List Background Options Extra Psionic List 10 Chaotic Weapon/Armour 20 Chaos Familiar 40 Catzu Stone (with Pictograph) x2 magic pp 20 Arcane Spell List 50 Category:Pachacaca Dominion Category:Izmec Category:Religion Category:Clerics Category:Dream-Walkers Category:Machu Category:Belestar Category:Groups Category:Psychics